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Diversity Message from the Chancellor

Author(s)

Rebecca Chopp

Letter

•

January 12, 2015

Dear Friends,

I've written and spoken about 21st-century leadership quite a bit lately. Our mission is to educate the kind of citizens and leaders we need in our organizations and our communities now and in the future.

At the heart of leadership in the 21st century is the ability to build diverse and inclusive organizations and communities. Innovation and problem-solving flourish when leaders can bring together diverse perspectives, backgrounds and talents. Inclusion and purposeful collaboration are essential because leadership in the 21st century is about empowering and motivating increasingly diverse communities and organizations and moving them forward.

There are some special events this month providing opportunities for each of us to advance the vision and reality of inclusivity and community flourishing—both on the DU campus and in our local communities.

Monday, Jan. 19 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Since the 1990s, Americans have come together around this national holiday to perform citizen action volunteer service in honor of Dr. King. The University observes the holiday and is closed, encouraging faculty, staff and students to volunteer in the community and to help realize Dr. King's vision.

Jan. 17-19 – University of Denver National Chapter Day of Service
Many DU Alumni Chapters across the country are hosting volunteer activities supporting the MLK Day of Service.

Jan. 22-23 – Diversity Summit on Inclusive Excellence
The 14th annual Diversity Summit acknowledges in its theme—Fifty Years Since Selma: Your Voice Still Matters!—the peaceful multiracial march on March 7, 1965, in Selma, Ala., to draw attention to the call for equal voting rights in this country. The summit will focus on actions that made progress possible 50 years ago and what we can do today to continue the struggle for social justice and equality in the United States. Registration is open now.

There will be more opportunities ahead for everyone in the DU community to help us realize our vision of a diverse and inclusive community. I look forward to sharing more with you on this important work in the days and weeks to come.